[Az-Geocaching] survey of sorts...

[Jim Scotti]

Well, I was out geocaching yesterday, so I'll respond today, especially since
so many others have....  Jim.

> 1) How did you get introduced to Geo Caching?
I got my first GPS and started looked around the web (actually I started that
before I got my GPS) for interesting GPS related things to do, and geocaching
was one of them.

> 2) How long have you been a Geo Cacher?
My first Geocache find was 2001 August 18, but I probably thought about it
for a few days or a week before that.

> 3) What is your present GPS'r?
I have a Garmin Legend.

>     a) What was your first GPS'r?
Same.

>     b) How many units have you owned?
Uno.

>     c) What unit(s) would you recommend to new cachers?
I love my Legend, but I'd have to seriously look at the new Magellans as
well.  I suppose the Garmin Legend or Vista or Magellans Sportrak or Meridian
would be high on my list.  I like having mapping capability, whether I need
it or not.  It sure comes in handy in new areas that I'm not familiar with.

> 4) How long did it take to locate your first cache?
The cache was about a 7 minute bushwacking hike, pretty easy.

> 5) What has been your most memorable cache?
So may great ones.  Like 910.285, or O_Dog #2, or Father Kino.  Hard to pick
just one.

>     a) Why?
Well, 910.285 was a fantastic and unique and ingenious hide.  O_Dog #2 was a
long but fun hike and a tough little thing to find (took 2 tries...).  Father
Kino was a nice little Multi with a great technique.

> 6) What has been your least favorite cache?
Can't think of any that I found that were particularly bad.  Maybe the one
not found I have that I didn't find later, or the one that had ground zero
about 100 feet off and we almost gave up on it before I played a hunch on the
way back to the car and found it....

>     a) Why?
Not founds that are lost because they are too exposed, I suppose, or caches
which have poor coordinates in the cases just mentioned....

> 7) What factors dictate which cache you go looking for?
Nearness (or convenience) and then maybe difficulty or the description of the
cache.

> 8) How many other Geo Cachers have you met while on a caching hunt?
I haven't met any while out hunting, but I have met several after meeting
them online and I've met a few who visited one of my caches which I have in
my posession when the cache is active rather than virtual.

> 9) Has that meeting changed the way you cache?
Geocachers are a great group and meeting and getting to know fellow cachers
is very rewarding.  We don't do this sport in an isolated Universe - others
have to hide caches before we can find them and interacting with other
cachers is great feedback in so many ways.

> 10) When unable to locate a cache how long do you search?
I'll search as long as I think it might still be out there.

>     a) How many attempts before logging a no-find?
1 - if I can't find it, I log a no find.  If I find it later, I log the find
but leave the no find - it's part of my history with that cache.

>     b) Do you contact the cache owner for help?
Probably.

>     c) Do you ask other cachers for help? 
Yes, though I prefer to get hints rather than any outright description of
where to find the cache - just clues so I can go back and find it
legitimately.  I might have overlooked something before or (in one case) my
GPS was just way off on the first try.

> 11) When driving around are you tempted to go and look again at caches
> you have found before?
A little.  I've only gone back to 2 caches, one of them to check on it for
the owner since I work really close by and another for a TV news story.

> 12) What has been the best trinket in a cache?
I saw a PC video card in one cache (though I didn't take it).

> 13) What has been the worst trinket in a cache?
Cigarette lighter - what a boneheaded thing to leave in an AZ geocache where
it must get really toasty inside in mid-summer.  Oh, and I'd have to list
that PC video card here too since it was pretty old.... :-)

> 14) Do you leave a signature item?
I have a few favorite items that I tend to put in geocaches, one in
particular that I like, but I don't know that I'd call it a signature item.

>     a) Are you considering your own?
Yeah, I have one item in mind, if they weren't so expensive I might already
have gone ahead with them.

>     b) Who has the most notable?
Team Sand Dollar - I finally found one, then another and another....

> 15) When in a populated area waiting to retrieve a cache what things do
> you do to pass the time?
I haven't had to really wait for too long.  I guess I'd just hang around
trying to act naturally until the area cleared.  I might pull out my medium
format camera if I brought it along if the area is really scenic.  The
busiest time, I just sat down next to the cache and casually pulled it out
and did my thing before replacing it.  Funny thing was that a visitor to the
site commented on "how nice it would be to read a book like that guy was
doing in this pretty site" - little did they know.

>     a) While waiting what was the worst thing to have happen?
Nothing bad has happened ot me while waiting.

>     b) What has been the best thing?
Well, sitting and watching that site while reading the cache log was pretty
good and taking a couple pictures too.

> 16) Do you practice Cache in Trash out? 
Often.

Jim Scotti                              
Lunar & Planetary Laboratory         jscotti@pirl.lpl.arizona.edu 
University of Arizona                
Tucson, AZ 85721 USA                 http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~jscotti/